When you are thinking about your customer, you have to think about the experience you are giving them. Imagine you are creating a social media campaign: what is the experience you’re giving them? How are you bringing them into your company? How are you making their social media experience one worth taking?

Building environments

Think about the trade show you are putting on. Think about the environments you’re building, and what they are doing. Do you have a listening stations? Do you have food walls? Are you allowing customers to interact with your space? Is there something digital happening? What are you doing with augmented reality? How are you making food coincide with the event experience?

Is there a video component in your events. Experience is defined by the impact you’re creating. Experience is defined by story you’re telling. And most of all, experience is about the power of the audience.  The experience is nothing if the audience is not there for it.

Passion in marketing

It starts with having a passion for your organization and a passion for your audience. There are constant blogs, social media accounts, and thought leaders telling you what will work, when to post, what to say, and what to hashtag. That’s all great. And in many cases, their words may help you. But none of that will work if there isn’t passion behind what you do.

The organizations that really make a dent on audiences are the ones with passion. And when I say make a dent, I don’t just mean they show up int the latest publication or blog (though that is a nice perk).

What matters is the passion that you put into every line, every lighting cue, every napkin, every decor moment, every piece of content.

Content marketing

Content is a word tat some people look at and scoff at. I have been to meetings where potential clients don’t see much behind the word “content.” They don’t think that they need content. They especially don’t think they need strategic content. 

Here is the thing, everything is content. Every newsletter is content, every advertisement is content, and every event is content. Whether you’re doing a big gala or a small luncheon. Whether you’re doing a huge email campaign or just posting a photo on social media. Whether it’s a convention or a small fundraiser. It all matters because it’s all content.  

If you want to make an impression, it comes from the content you are making. Content is your “in” to your audience. Content is your dialogue with them. Content is what gets them to understand who you are and what you are after.

When you create content, you’re building a shared experience with the customer. You are giving them a reason to understand you. You are showing who you are and what is important to you.

Content over programming

When I hear potential clients focus more on programming than on content, it gives me pause because they aren’t seeing how the two are connected. Programming without content is not impacting anyone. And how are you going to get people to attend your programming, or get investors to invest in your programming, if you don’t’ create content for them?

Content brings people to you, connects them to you, and inspires them. Content is what builds harmony in your customers, your donors and your audience. It’s what makes people feel something. 

Content is what brings your audience closer it you. It’s what connects them to your cause, and it’s what empowers them to think deeper about who you are. You can’t have an event without content. You can’t have a fundraising campaign without content. You can’t bring people to your programming if there is no content.

It’s all about content.